Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 160

"And now, please welcome singer Serena with her song, ‘Abyssal.'"

As the host's voice faded, the auditorium lights dimmed to black.

A deep blue glow gradually illuminated the stage. At its center, a woman appeared, dressed in a sapphire mermaid gown that shimmered with every movement. Her waist was slender, her arms graceful and porcelain-pale, dusted with a delicate trace of glitter. Half her face was masked, edged with silvery fins, lending her an air of enigmatic allure.

For a moment, the entire audience seemed to forget to breathe—their eyes fixed on her and her alone.

Vivienne glared at the woman on stage, a smug satisfaction flickering across her face as she waited for what would happen next.

The crowd fell utterly silent. Even those who'd never attended a live show before felt swept away by the sheer beauty of the scene.

In one of the VIP seats, Tyler's brow furrowed. That strange sense of familiarity was back again, stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, outside the theater, thousands watched the live broadcast online.

At first, the performance looked ordinary—a typical mermaid-themed stage, the kind you might find at any small-town talent show. Under the harsh lighting, the props even seemed a little tacky, almost plastic.

Then, in less than a second, something changed. The feed flickered, skipped a beat, and suddenly the stage transformed before everyone's eyes. Someone might've just taken a sip of water and, in that instant, the cheesy set had turned breathtaking.

Every detail, once blurred and washed out, now shone in crystal clarity.

On screen, The Masked Mermaid's sequined scales glimmered under the blue lights; her skin seemed to reflect the shifting hues of the deep sea, glowing faintly as if she were truly a princess from the ocean's depths.

No one could look away.

At their laptops, Seven and Joyce nearly jumped out of their chairs.

"Christian did it!" Joyce exclaimed.

"I was so worried, but everything worked out perfectly!" Seven replied, breathless.

"Yeah, now it's all up to us!"

Elsewhere in the building, Christian stood grinning at the door to the equipment control room. Not far away, a few technicians were being held at bay by his associates, unable to intervene.

Christian flexed his fingers, watching as Wyatt approached from down the hall. He had prepared for this moment long before tonight.

Beneath the surface, the real battle was raging.

And on the livestream, The Masked Mermaid began to sing. Her voice started as a soft, haunting melody, weaving with the illusion of ocean waves, drawing everyone into the depths of her undersea world.

She sang not of a mermaid's desperate love, but of a young woman's longing to see the world above the waves. Love, in her story, was just one part of her journey—an ornament, not the destination.

The prince was merely another passing vista along her path.

To fall for him or to leave him behind—both were her choices to make.

She could love bravely, and let go just as easily. Through every stage of her odyssey, she remained herself—ever-changing, but always true.